Finally I get to Cantley

I started the day in Rosary Cemetery while i waited for the train to Cantley. It was initially rather quiet then i realised why as i counted 14+ Jay spread between two trees arguing and fighting. A Chiffchaff burst into song and i then found a Treecreeper building a nest. Maybe I've never been that observant but this is the second unusual nest I've seen in a week or so with Long-tailed Tits last week.

I got off the train at Cantley and within minutes i was watching 4 Glossy Ibis on the flooded meadows. A few Wigeon still linger with Curlew, Teal and lots of Corvids also in the fields. Walking over to the Reedcutters i was disappointed that the pub only opens during the evenings and more so when i could see the Ibis from the grounds, another bird escapes my 'pub list'. I walked around the back of the Beet factory with a large number of Shoveler, Shelduck and gulls, but no waders. Cetti's Warbler called from the river bank and i thought i heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on the footpath towards Limpenhoe, but failed to find it. Back on Station Road in Cantley 3 Fieldfare flew from an ivy covered tree, before i headed across the fields towards Buckenham. A male Hen Harrier drifted over Cantley Marshes and Chiffchaff are now back in numbers. A brief stop in the now disused Buckenham church allowed me a short rest as i was rather warm and i wasn't best dressed for the weather. A Mistle Thrush was near Buckenham station but the marshes were rather quiet, so i headed off to Strumpshaw.

The usual tits flitted around the feeders including 2 Marsh Tit. Walking he woody area by the Reception hide a Willow Tit was calling and eventually found. In this area i also saw two voles and a wood mouse. On the main track a Cetti's Warbler unusually sat out in the open calling. Entering the Fen hide i was told i had just missed a close in Bittern, but was soon aware how close then it started to boom from the closest area of reeds maybe only 5m away. I got a couple of brief views through the reeds but the bird never ventured back into the open. A few Bearded Tit flitted but i headed off around the back of the reserve. It was rather quiet along the river back, but a few minutes in the Tower Hide produced 2 Avocet, 2 Snipe and few Lapwing. A show off cock Pheasant posed for a couple of photos but the rest of my walk back to Brundall and the train produced little.

During the day i did pick up my first butterflies of the year, a Comma at Brundall Station, 3/4 Tortoiseshell in Cantley village and 5 Peacock at Strumpshaw.